Gratitude
by Oasis Blackmore
Summary: Post "Battle of the Bands." Derek can't keep his gratitude a secret forever. Is there something else he can't keep quiet? Oneshot. Dasey.


**A/N: I just watched "Battle of the Bands." That is a GREAT episode. –giggles girlishly- This fic contains spoilers for that eppy, too; I would recommend watching it first. Anyway, this fic is post-"Battle of the Bands." Dasey, of course. **

Gratitude

Casey ushered Derek up the stairs as the awful "music" their family was playing blared in their ears.

Derek shuddered, letting out an anxious laugh, thankful to have gotten away. "That was _terrible_!"

"They didn't _actually_ expect us to join them; did they?" Casey joked as they slowed their pace.

Derek laughed. "You have to admit, though, Edwin's got some _serious_ bongo skills." He stopped outside his bedroom door, opening it and watching as Casey continued down the hall, to her room. "Was it just me, or was Shlepper's song completely pathetic? I mean, who sings about how unpopular they are? And _wins_?" He was stalling.

She turned at her door and rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe he won," she complained.

"_I_ still can't believe you played _my_ song. What happened to 'the artistic principle of music'?" He emphasized his point with air quotes.

Casey flushed, not sure how exactly to respond. "Well, I mean, it is _your_ band, and I didn't want to _totally_ take control-"

"_You_? Not wanting _control_?" Derek interrogated skeptically, stepping away from his door.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Casey huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Derek snorted. "You're a control freak, plain and simple."

"You're forgetting about the Be Nice clause of our agreement," Casey rebutted pointedly.

Derek exhaled forcefully, silently wishing he had never signed that damned treaty; it wasn't like it had done him any good anyway. Shlepper, of all people, had won, even with his pathetic song about how girls didn't like him because he was a such a loser. "Damn contract," he sighed, catching Casey's irritated gaze and smirking.

"It's lucky George is a lawyer," she snapped, "or you probably would have disregarded the contract completely." Derek gave her an exasperated look. "Besides," Casey continued, her harangue ready to extend into a full-fledged argument, "you wouldn't even have participated in the competition with_out_ it."

"And you have _no_ idea how much that means to me," he drawled sarcastically.

Casey raised her eyebrows. "Well, maybe I should just _quit_ the band then!" she threatened.

"Maybe you _should_!"

"Maybe I _will_!" Casey spat, pivoting and slamming her bedroom door. "I _QUIT_!" she hollered, and Derek just barely heard her before he wrenched his own door open and then banged it shut.

He paced back and forth rapidly, his breathing heavy. "Stupid Casey and her stupid control issues and stupid singing and stupid Shlepper." He stormed out the door, making a B-line for Casey's room. He threw the door open and stared at Casey, who was feverishly typing on her computer, her tight vest discarded on her bed, leaving her poised in shimmering, silky pink. Derek's anger wouldn't manifest into words.

"What?" Casey demanded sharply, swiveling in her chair. Derek didn't respond. "_What_?" Casey scowled at him.

"Thank you."

Both teens' jaws dropped.

"What?" Casey asked, less angrily this time.

Derek frowned at her. "I don't know . . ." he replied warily.

Casey rolled her eyes and turned back to her computer. "Of course."

"I think I was thanking you . . . or something . . . Why would I do _that_?" Derek propped himself up against the doorjamb, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, until you find out, why don't you go away," Casey suggested cynically, aggressively pounding on the space bar.

Derek shut her door, shaking his head. "No, I don't think I will," he decided, advancing on her.

Casey looked at him again. "Derek, GET _OUT_ OF MY _ROOM_!" she yelled. Derek plopped down on her bed. "_MO_-_OM_!"

"They can't hear you," Derek declared calmly.

Casey gave him a withering glower. "What do you want?"

"You can't quit the band," Derek asserted boldly.

"Why not?" Casey asked, her tone indicating that she was still intent on quitting.

"Because . . ." Derek rubbed his temples. "Because weneedyou," he mumbled quickly.

The corners of Casey's lips twitched upward as she tried not to smile. "What was that?" she queried. "I didn't quite hear you."

Derek sighed. "You heard me."

"No, I didn't," Casey insisted, now openly smirking.

Derek looked at her agitatedly.

"Come on, _Dere_, I'm sure it was important," Casey coaxed, loving tormenting her stepbrother. She moved to stand in front of him, bending down, as if talking to a small child.

Derek stood. "Fine. Quit the band. See if I care," he snarled, heading toward the door.

Casey's laugh rang through his ears, stopping him in his tracks. "I'm not quitting, Derek. We MacDonalds _aren't_ quitters. But could you just say what you said _one_ more time?"

Derek gave her a steely glare as he faced her. "No."

"I _could_ go solo; then you'll never get to make _any_ money off all your _hard_ work." Casey stepped closer to him in an intimidating manner.

Derek stared down at her, his gaze shuttered.

"Well?" She tilted her chin up and stared at him imploringly, full lips stuck out in a definite pout, her cheeks glinting with the glitter she had swiped on before the show.

Derek obliterated the distance between them in one, suave movement, and his lips closed over hers, causing her to let out a gasp of surprise. His arms wrapped around her silk-covered waist, and he drew her closer. She worked her lips against his, fighting for dominance, as always, and she nearly won it before Derek pulled away, holding her at arm's length and gazing into her cobalt eyes.

"I said we need you." He looked up at the ceiling tiredly. "_I_ need you." Dropping his arms, he looked past Casey's right shoulder and at the wall behind her. "Thank you for everything you've done . . . for the band . . . and me." His eyes shifted left, and he saw her dazzling grin, a beacon of hope rising into view.

"Well, Derek, I guess this means I have to stick with this thing I've gotten myself into. No solo work for me." She tried to sound dejected, but perhaps these risks she was taking were worth it. People could change. After all, Casey had already gotten her obstinate stepbrother Derek to express his gratitude to her. People could definitely change. "But you owe me," she added at length.

Derek smirked, stepping forward again. "I think we can work something out."

**A/N: Hey! That turned out better than I expected. Review if you like. **


End file.
